Wire holder



Dec. 2, `1941. H H` HUMMEL v2,264,381

WIRE HOLDER Filed Sept. 16, 1940 A fr0/@HEY Patented Dec. 2, 1941 Homer H. Hummel,Warrenton, Mo., assignor to James B. Kearney Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri.

Application September 16, 1940, Serial No. 356,937

(Cl. 24e-136) 7 Claims.

This invention relates generally to wire holders of the type employed to mechanically attach drop, lead-in, and other service wires to houses, buildings, or other structures, and more specifically' to such a wire holder which is of such improved and unique construction and arrangement that various disadvantages incident to the use of wireY holders of the types formerly ein ployed for this purpose are eliminated, the pre-l dominant ob-ject of the invention being to provide an improved Wire holder of simple and inexpensive construction which holds a wire -to a considerable extent in accordance withV the snubloing principle Ainstead of through the use solely of clamping pressure applied to the insulation of I the wire, as was frequently the case heretofore.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved wire Fig. 2' isa side elevation of the assembly 'illustrated in Fig. 1.l

Fig.A 3 is an end elevation of the structure Ail lustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 with portions of the wire shown in section.

Fig. lisa section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the improved Wire holder with the wire omitted and with a portion of the bail broken away.

In the drawing, wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration, merely, one embodiment ofA the invention, A designates theimproved wire holder generally. The wire holder A includes a main body portion- I which may be produced from `any suitable material, such as metal, or, ifV preferred,v said main body` portionmay be made fromY a suitable electrical insulating materialI such, for instance, as lava or Bakelite. The main bodyv portion I includes a substantially circular portion- Ia and an extension Ibl which is extended tangentially with respect to said su'ostantially circular portion la as shown to thebest advantage inv Fig,A 5;

Formed in theV edge portion of the main body portion I is a groove 2 which is open at the edge'v ofthe body portion and follows the contour of said edge ofsaid body portion; that is to say, the portion 2a of the groove 2 at the substantially straight, upper' portion'of the extensiony Ibis substantially straight and merges into a curved portion 2b of the groove which follows around the curved edge portion of the substan-V-Y tially circular portion I a of the body portion I'.' The/'curved portion of the groove- 2 merges with a" substantially straight groove portion 2c which is--disposed at an approximate right ang-le with respect toa straight grooveI portion Edwhichs.

formed infthez lower portion of the extension Ib. It is to be noted thatr the groove 2, from the outerv end of the extension Ibv to the point designated by the reference character 2m is-of the approximately semi-circular cross-sectional shape shown vatthe upper ends of Figs. Sand 4,"

while the portion of the groove extended from the point 2a: throughout the lower portion of the substantially circular portion portion has the tapered cross-sectional shap-chl showing at the lower' portion of Fig. 4. The fright' angle portions 2c and 2d of the groove Z'are of substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape as shownY at the intermediate portionl of Fig. y3.

The improved wire hold'er'A includes alsoa bail 3' which is formed fromV a length of wire,

or other suitabler material, and isbent double to7 provide a loop at the outer end of the bail as shown to the best advantageA in Fig. 1. When viewed in side elevation the bail is shaped as shownin Fig. 2 and the opposed, angular portions 3' of said bail are extendedlongitudinally through grooves 4 which are formed in the op'- posed outer faces of the main body portion I. As shown in Figs. 2'and 5` the grooves lare inclined downwardly with respect to the top edge of the tbody portion I, fron1-pointsadjacent to apoint Where the top edge of' the extension .Ib mergesinto thefcurv'ed edge of the substantially circular portion Ia of said body portion, to points adjacent'to the junction of the straight, right angle groovel portions 2c and 2d, said grooves 4 being open at their opposite ends.' The grooves Iv are of! the cross-sectional shape shown in Fig.

F 4; that is to say each of said grooves includes a narrowerv lower portion which is closed at its outer-side by a lip 4 forming a part of the main body portion I and Vabove said lips d theI grooves are o-pen at the opposite sides of the main body portion I to permit entrance intothe grooves of the opposed, angular portions 3' of the bail 3'.

Secured to the lower end portions of thel opposed, angularly extended portions 3 of the bail 3 Ais a clamping member 5 'which is preferably of approximately triangular shape, The clamping member 5 is disposed in the crotch of the right angle groove portions 2c and 2d and isI provided with a curved portion 4a which joins the straight faces 1lb and 4c of said clamping member. The clamping member 5 is connected to the angularly extendedportions 3' of the bail 3 by forming an opening transversely through said clamping member and introducing into'and' xing in said opening a tubular element 6 whichl is elongatedl in crossesection. The end portions Ia of` the body.

of the portions 3' of the bail 3 are bent at right angles, as shown at 3a in Fig. 3, and are passed in opposite directions through the tubular element 6 after which the extreme end portions of said portions 3a are upset as shown at 3b to lock said bail portions 3a and the clamping member in their related positions.

In applying the improved Wire holder to a wire, such as the wire W shown in the drawing, the unit comprised of the bail 3 and the clamping member 5 is removed from the body portion I of the wire holder. This may be accomplished by moving the body portion I rearwardly of the bail, which at this time is straight, until the body portion moves into the wider looped end portion of the bail. As the body portion moves into the wider portion of the bail the opposed leg portions of the bail pass from the grooves 4 whereby the body portion is detached from the bail. When the body portion has been detached from the bail as described the wire W is looped about said body portion at the desired point, the wire being drawn deep in the groove 2, and the wider loop portion of the bail is passed over the substantially circular portion Ia of the body portion I to position the opposed leg portions of the narrower portion of the bail in line with the grooves 4 of the body portion: The bail is then moved with respect to the body portion of the wire holder to cause the opposed leg portions of the bail to move into the grooves 4 and to bring the clamping member 5 into contact with the Wire at the locations of the right angle groove portions 2c and 2d. The bail is then bent as required, and as shown in Fig. 2, and the looped outer end of the bail is secured to the house, building, or other support by suitable attaching means (not shown).

It is to be noted that a wire secured to a support by means of the improved wire holder disclosed herein is held by combined snubbing and pressure clamping actions. In other words the portion of the wire which passes about the substantially circular portion I of the body portion of the wire holder is held by snubbing action, while the portions of the wire which are engaged between the faces 4b and 4c of clamping member 5 and walls of the right angle groove portions 2c and 2d are held by pressure clamping action. Also it is important to note that the wire holding forces resulting from the snubbing and pressure clamping actions referred to are in proportion to, and increase and decrease in accordance with, the pull on the wire. This result is a natural consequence of the snubbing action obtained in connection with a portion of the wire and follows from the fact that increased pull on the wire Will cause the clamping member 5 to grip the wire with increased pressure. Additionally increased gripping action between the body portion of the wire holder and the Wire is obtained because a portion of the groove 2 is of tapered cross-sectional shape as shown at the bottom of Fig. 4, as the wire is wedged deep in the tapered portion of the groove 2 by pull on the wire and hence is securely gripped by said body portion of the Wire holder.

By employing grooves 4 of the cross-sectional shape shown in Fig. 4, the lips 4 prevent accidental displacement of the opposed bail portions from the grooves as the pull on the bail will draw said opposed bail portions into the narrow, lower portions of the grooves and behind said lips.

of the body portion I may be an opening 'I formed transversely therethrough. This opening serves to reduce the weight of the body portion and also the drop portion W of the wire W may be passed through said opening to facilitate a change in the direction of extension of said drop portion of the wire.

I claim:

1. A wire holder comprising a body portion having a portion adapted to receive in snubbing relation therewith a portion of a wire held by said wire holder, a clamping member adapted to clamp a portion of a wire held by the wire holder between said clamping member and a part of said body portion, and a bail attached to said clamping member and adapted to be connected to a support, said bail being provided with opposed inclined portions and said body portion having inclined grooves formed at opposite faces thereof in which said opposed inclined portions of the bail are seated.

2. A wire holder comprising a body portion having a portion adapted to receive in snubbing relation therewith a portion of a Wire held by said wire holder, a clamping member adapted to clamp a portion of a wire held by the wire holder between said clamping member and a part of said body portion, a bail attached to said clamping member and adapted to be connected to a support, said bail being provided with opposed inclined portions and said body portion having inclined grooves formed at opposite faces thereof in which said opposed inclined portions of the bail are seated, and means at said grooves for preventing unintended displacement of said opposed inclined portions of the bail from said grooves.

3. A wire holder comprising a body portion having a portion adapted to receive in snubbing relation therewith a portion of a wire held by said wire holder, a clamping member adapted to clamp a portion of a wire held by the wire holder between said clamping member and a part of said body portion, a bail attached to said clamping member and adapted to be connected to a support, said bail being provided with opposed inclined portions and said body portion having inclined grooves formed at opposite faces thereof in which said opposed inclined portions of the bail are seated, and means at said grooves for preventing unintended displacement of said opposed inclined portions of the bail from said grooves, said means comprising projected lip portions formed on said body portion which close portions of said grooves at their outer sides.

4. A wire holder comprising a body portion having a portion adapted to receive in snubbing relation therewith a portion of a Wire held by said wire holder, said body portion having a groove formed in the marginal edge portion thereof 'which receives the wire, a clamping member adapted to clamp a portion of a wire held by the wire holder between said clamping member and a part of said body portion, and a bail attached; to said clamping member and adapted to be connected to a support, said bail being provided with opposed portions and said body portion having grooves formed at opposite side faces thereof in which parts of said opposed portions of the bail are seated, the groove of said body portion including as a part thereof a substantially rectangular portion into contact with which the clamped part of a wire held by the Wire holder is forced by said clamping member.

5. A wire holder comprising a body portion having a portion adapted to receive in snubbing relation therewith a portion of a wire held by said Wire holder, said body portion having a groove formed in the marginal edge portion thereof which receives the wire and a part of which groove is of tapered cross-sectional shape wherein a part of the wire is adapted to be wedged, a clamping member adapted to clamp a portion of a wire held by the wire holder `between said clamping member and a part of said body portion, and a bail attached to said clamping member and adapted to be connected to a support, said bail being provided with opposed portions and said body portion having grooves formed at opposite side faces thereof in which parts of said opposed portions of the bail are seated, the groove of said body portion including as a part thereof a substantially rectangular portion into contact with which the clamped part of a wire held by the wire holder is forced by said clamping member.

6. A wire holder comprising a body portion having a portion adapted to receive in snubbing relation therewith a portion of a wire held by said wire holder, said body portion having a groove formed in the marginal edge portion thereof which receives the wire and a part of which groove is of tapered cross-sectional shape wherein a part of the wire is adapted to be wedged, a clamping member adapted to clamp a portion of a wire held by the wire holder between said clamping member and a part of said body portion, a bail attached to said clamping member and adapted to be connected to a support, said bail being provided with opposed portions and said body portion having grooves formed at opposite side faces thereof in which parts of said opposed portions of the bail are seated, and means at said grooves at the opposite side faces of said body portion for preventing unintended displacement of said parts of said opposed portions of the bail from said grooves, the groove of said body portion including as a part thereof a substantially rectangular portion into contact with which the clamped part of a wire held by the Wire holder is forced by said clamping member.

'7. A wire holder comprising a body portion having a portion adapted to receive in snubbing relation therewith a portion of a wire held by said wire holder, said body portion having a groove formed in the marginal edge portion thereof which receives the wire and a part of which groove is of tapered cross-sectional shape wherein a part of the wire is adapted to be wedged, a clamping member adapted to clamp a portion of a wire held by the wire holder between said clamping member and a part of said body portion, a bail attached to said clamping member and adapted to be connected to a support, said bail being provided with opposed portions and said body portion having grooves formed at opposite side faces thereof in which parts of said opposed portions of the bail are seated, and means at said grooves at the opposite side faces of said body portion for preventing unintended displacement of said parts of said opposed portions of the bail from said grooves, said means comprising projected lip portions formed on said body portion which close portions of said grooves at their outer sides, the groove of said body portion including as a part thereof a substantially rectangular portion into contact with which the clamped part of a wire held by the wire holder is forced by said clamping member.

HOMER H. HUM'MEL. 

